Ruediger von Braun
Ruediger von Braun, more commonly known by the code name Ireul, is a member of the Schwarze Krähen Macht and serves as one of its Archangels. He serves as an infiltration specialist, retrieving intel behind enemy lines as opposed to direct combat like the majority of his fellow colleagues take part in. He is also the only Archangel that does not posses a Vollständig. Appearance Ruediger is a young man with a pale complexion and a rather scrawny build compared to the more athletic figures of the other S.K.M. members. He was born with white hair and red eyes, but after his recruitment into the S.K.M., he chose to dye his hair black and use blue contacts in order to keep himself from being recognized as one of the Bestandigkeit. His clothing varies depending on the situation. In military attire, he wears an outfit of black consisting of a robe, chest plating, a sweater with leather gloves, cargo pants and combat boots. In more casual appearances, he wears a dark gray sweatshirt with tape bindings around the biceps, brown pants with tape bindings around the thighs and gray sneakers. It is not uncommon for him to be seen with a mask of sorts around his face. Personality The effects of constant warfare and the execution of the Quincy population has left a heavy influence on Ruediger's psyche. He behaves passively and almost submissively in terms of interactions with his colleagues, despite him being a field commander of the Schwarze Krähen Macht. He will speak orders calmly and quietly, almost never raising his voice in the face of his subordinates. In terms of social behavior, he is completely disconnected. He speaks only when he absolutely has to, and even then using short phrases and sentences in order to avoid prolonged communication. This does not mean he prefers to avoid contact; he willingly listens to the more talkative people with patience. In contrast to his more sociopathic and violence-addicted companions, he has a semblance of pacifism and actively goes out of his way not to directly harm anyone - even in the midst of combat. The only time he will allow himself to deliver injury is when he is ordered to, and even then he will mostly rely on indirect means such as traps and his other colleagues in order to deal with his foes. After his recruitment into the Schwarze Krähen Macht, he develops a habit of using wordplay on his opponent as a means to demoralize them and give himself compensation over his non-violent approach to battle. Because of traumatic experiences of torture and grievous injury, he is very sensitive to being touched. Whenever he makes physical contact with anyone, he will either flinch, vocally express displeasure to a varying degree or attempt to punch his "assailant". If he is provoked enough, he will fly into a hysterical panic and lash out at anyone that nears him while trying to seek shelter. The only one he will allow to touch him is his field commander or Liselotte Brandt due to both status difference, idolization of his leader's charismatic nature and a son's affection towards the female Seraphim. He has a considerable fear of blood and will become paralyzed if he happens to come across even the slightest drop. In this situation, he usually requires one of his partners to snap him out of it. These fears, if not handled correctly, can easily cripple him in the field of battle when he has to perform an objective. Because of this, Berhtram regards him as a "good tool" that needs to be treated with care. As damaged as his psyche is, Ruediger does hold a semblance of value for life. He is particularly soft to children, preferring to be near the likes of them rather than people his age. His reasoning is that they are more simple and innocent than adults, and thus easier to feel at peace around. They are the only other individuals that he will allow to make physical contact with him, as he trusts them not to do him any harm. Even if his orders require it, he will refuse to harm a child in any way. He is also more detached from the conflict between the Quincy and the Shinigami; although the majority of the Schwarze Krähen Macht hold no genuine hatred towards the Shinigami and only see it as nature to battle them, he is actually willing to befriend a Shinigami if he has the chance to. Although holding strong loyalty towards Berhtram, he holds a strong empathy towards Shinigami particularly due to the recent hardships they had suffered. In some cases, he will even regard enemy Shinigami as "brothers and sisters". However, it doesn't deter him from doing battle with them if he needs to. As a hobby, Ruediger listens to classical and ambient music to relax. He is also usually found meditating in a secluded area whenever he is not gathered with his colleagues. History Early life and childhood Ruediger was born in Hamburg, Germany in the midst of a civil war. The government - a totalitarian regime - was being challenged by a resistance group called the Beständigkeit, which was led by one Fabian Wassermann. Ruediger's mother and father had served together on the Beständigkeit's side before they were slain in combat during an assault on one of the Beständigkeit's outposts. At the time, Ruediger was just at the peak of being born when his mother was killed. Although this normally would've killed the infant as well, a rebel patrol led by Fabian that scavenged the area found a crying and bloodied Ruediger right beside the bodies of his parents. Further inspection on the mother's corpse showed that the baby had clawed his way out of her stomach, much to the shock, horror and disgust of Fabian's companions. Fabian himself, however, was impressed by the fact that an unborn child had the instinct to do such a thing. Seeing potential in him and against the wishes and fears of his fellow patrolmen, Fabian took Ruediger with them back to camp in order to raise him as his own. When Ruediger was eight years old, Fabian decided to teach him the ways of the group in order to help him make a living for himself while benefiting the Beständigkeit's interests. Ruediger was taught step-by-step, first going through the basic movements and physical training before moving onto weapons training. In between, he was lectured on a portion of Germany's war history as well as how the Beständigkeit came to be. Because he was young, Fabian was a more guiding instructor than anything else. But as he adapted to the techniques and knowledge given to him, he increased the difficulty and pace gradually. He always made sure to hold back just before he could completely break the young boy's resolve, but at the same time ensuring that he would remain strong in the face of anything. He also brought the boy back up in cases where he was accidentally injured or incapacitated beyond immediate recovery. Because of the close time they spent together, Ruediger began to see Fabian as his adoptive father and eventually began to address him as such, much to Fabian's initial chagrin and amusement of the rest of the soldiers. However, Fabian grew to accept this role and returned the gesture, acknowledging Ruediger as his own son. The bond between the two would be tested when Ruediger's "condition" came into play. When he was fourteen, Fabian entered him into a sparring match against himself in order to test his combat skills thus far. The match started off rather innocently; Fabian was quick to gain the upper hand and disarmed Ruediger several times as the young boy struggled to adapt to his very first fight. But things took a sharp turn when one of Ruediger's swings struck Fabian's cheek, leaving a bleeding scar. Although it was a minor blow at best, the sight of blood caused Ruediger to go into a panic. He dropped his sword and ran into his personal tent, reduced to a panicked and terrified wreck. Unaware of what was happening with Ruediger, Fabian acted with annoyance and then anger at what he saw was cowardice. He stormed into the tent and gave the boy a tongue lashing - something that wasn't registered due to the overwhelming fear. At the end of his patience, Fabian was about to strike Ruediger as punishment until he heard the young boy muttering mostly incoherent gibberish, with the most words "blood", "corpses" and "smell" being repeated from time to time. It was here that Fabian realized that Ruediger had hemophobia and necrophobia - the fears of blood and dead people, respectively. After letting Ruediger calm down and attempting a few more sparing matches with the same result every time blood was drawn, Fabian saw that direct combat would not be a role. Because of the situation, the other soldiers began to see Ruediger as a liability and offered to kill him or throw him out of the group. But Fabian was stubborn, having grown too attached to the boy in order to punish him for his conditions. After thought, he decided on a new role that Ruediger could play - a "runner", someone who could get behind enemy lines quickly with little to no confrontation and retrieve high-value objectives. After some extra coaxing from Fabian, Ruediger allowed himself to undergo training of a different path. He was taught in the art of "parkour", a training discipline aiming to coming from Point A to Point B in the quickest and most efficient way possible. This form of training allowed Ruediger to switch from a combatant to an infiltration expert; he learned how to move quickly, maneuver around almost any obstacle, adapt to his surroundings accordingly and use them to his advantage. In time, he could evade the attention of enemy patrols and learned how to escape from them if he was ever spotted. Through the use of medication acquired through plundering conquered areas, Ruediger could temporarily suppress his phobias in favor of completing the mission. His progress eventually grew to the point where he would be fit to head into battle without worry of being crippled by his fears. While initially other Beständigkeit soldiers were reluctant to accept him, they quickly became impressed by his quickness and adaptability while in the field of battle. He was accepted as a valuable asset to the group as one of them, and thanks to his actions, the Beständigkeit gained a significant advantage against their oppressors. But it would also be because of his actions that he would attract the interest of a watching Berhtram Brandt, the leader of the Schwarze Krähen Macht. Recuitment into the Schwarze Krähen Macht Things took a turn for the worse during one particular retrieval mission, where Fabian led a teenage Ruediger a group of soldiers in order to infiltrate and destroy an enemy fortress from the inside out. On his usual run, however, Ruediger was captured. His capture would be later broadcast by the fortress commander, who demanded the surrender of Fabian and his men. After receiving silence as response, the leader proceeded to torture Ruediger to a slow and painful death. While the others believed that he was a lost cause, Fabian was unwilling to allow his adoptive son to fall prey to the enemy. Against the odds, he launched an impromptu rescue mission and charged with his fellow soldiers against an alert fortress of enemy combatants. Despite the incredible odds against them, they managed to reach Ruediger before he could get killed by his torturers. They were too late, however, to stop him from getting irreversably scarred in the process. Under the effects of his medication and weakened, Ruediger was unable to move on his own. So he had to be carried as the group made their escape. With the bulk of the enemy's force closing in around them, they were desperately trying to keep themselves from getting overwhelmed. As strong as their efforts were, they were eventually pinned in and forced to make a last stand. Ruediger blacked out, his injuries and the stress of the situation proving to be too much for him. When Ruediger woke up, he found himself in a sea of corpses and the fortress completely destroyed. With the medication worn off by this point, he became terrified at the sight. In an attempt to flee the area, he tripped over the corpse of Fabian. After identifying it as such, he instantly sank into a catatonic state. He certainly would've wasted away if not for the watchful eye of Berhtram, who had been observing the battle from afar. Berhtram took the boy to the secret H.Q. of the Schwarze Krähen Macht where he was resuscitated and healed. Confused and lost on where he was, he was approached by Berhtram and informed on the situation. The revelation that his father figure was killed in the fight caused him heavy grief and guilt, as he believed that it had been his fault due to him getting captured in the first place. Berhtram offered him a chance to start over and find his own peace by joining the Schwarze Krähen Macht. While Ruediger was understandably wary at first, Berhtram's kind and seemingly understanding nature eventually drew him in. He accepted, and was given the title of "Ireul" as a result. Notably, he would be the only Angel to receive a promotion to Archangel due to his abilities, which were unlocked sometime after he was accepted into the S.K.M.'s ranks. Hunting Braeburn Afterwards, Ruediger became acquainted with Ollinda Zensengliven, first meeting her when she playing a piece on the piano. Berhtram introduced her to him, announcing that due to their similar roles in espionage and infiltration, they would work as partners on the stealth missions that they were assigned. Ruediger was instructed to watch over Ollinda due to her child-like and unpredictable nature as well as refine her own abilities, while Ollinda herself was instructed to keep an eye on him due to his damaged psyche. At first, the two were cautious of each other, what with them being strangers to one another. But as time progressed, they grew to appreciate each other's company. Ollinda's optimistic attitude and boundless energy eased the burden on Ruediger's mind, and Ruediger was attentive and patient enough to keep Ollinda in line. During missions, Ruediger found himself filling in the role of "big brother" for Ollinda, maintaining his own role while trying to keep his partner out of trouble. As fortune would have it, they ended up working quite well together, and their effectiveness rewarded the S.K.M. with various pieces of intelligence. Things would go awry during a reconnaissance mission in Tendan Dākusaido, where Ruediger and Ollinda were ordered to spy on the movements of Braeburn McTavish while supervised by Andreas Faerber. In a disguise and while speaking to the target in question, Ollinda made a slip-up and caught Braeburn's suspicion immediately. As a result, he forcefully subdued her and demanded to know what she knew about him. When she refused to answer, he decided to detain her and take her to a more private location in order to interrogate her. Horrified at her capture, Ruediger nearly blew his own cover attempting to save her before being restrained by Andreas. Knowing that it would be a risk to attempt to confront Braeburn while he was watching out for others, Andreas decided to retreat and inform Berhtram instead. He had to forcefully silence Ruediger due to his insistence on saving her; while it was mostly out of attachment for his partner, Ireul was also experiencing flashbacks from when he was captured by enemy forces. Eventually, Ruediger grudgingly agreed to retreat. After Berhtram was informed, he decided to accompany Ruediger on a rescue mission to recover her. After going through various sources, Berhtram and Ruediger finally found where Braeburn had taken Ollinda. They headed there, and once they arrived, witnessed to see a severely weakened Ollinda undergoing a torture session by Braeburn. By that point in time, Braeburn had gotten everything he needed from her about his assailants and was just about to finish her off. But before he was about to kill her, however, he was ambushed by Berhtram. Berhtram's interference allowed Ruediger to rescue Ollinda and escape back to their HQ. After a short struggle, Berhtram came back and informed them that, upon learning Ollinda broke under Braeburn's pressure, he lured the Shinigami in to another location for an effort to recruit him into the Schwarze Krähen Macht. Ruediger worked with him again to set the trap for Braeburn - a base with hired mercenaries serving as fodder for Braeburn while worked his way up in an effort to kill Berhtram. When Braeburn arrived on-scene, Ruediger met him as he was halfway to where Berhtram was located. A short exchange of words allowed Ruediger to feed on Braeburn's insecurities, such as the protection of his sister and the death of his mother. He fled before an enraged Braeburn could attack him, but would continue to appear to him and taunt him to push him over the edge. He and Berhtram appeared before Braeburn when the Shinigami covered the entire location, observing the resulting fight between his superior and enemy. He was shocked when Braeburn struck Berhtram down, unaware of the fact that Berhtram was holding back. When Braeburn turned to challenge Ruediger, Berhtram revealed his hand and attacked once more. It wasn't long before Braeburn was forcefully subdued, and with the alternative of dying, Berhtram assimilated him into the fold of the Shwarze Krähen Macht. Synopsis This character has not been featured in any stories as of yet. Powers & Abilities High Spiritual Power: Unlike the rest of the Archangels, who possesses a vast amount of spiritual energy, Ruediger possesses only spiritual energy that is above average in quantity and potency. Berhtram has suggested that Ruediger's near-pacifist nature and phobias effectively limit his strength and restrict him to evasion and retreating maneuvers. As a result, challenging enemies with in an average Captain class would be suicide, as they can simply use their spiritual energy in order to incapacitate him. To negate this, he is usually grouped with S.K.M. members who can protect him or effectively distract the enemy's power from him. Hirenyaku Expert: One of Ruediger's greatest assets is his speed, which he uses in order to find flanking routes and retreat more effectively than he would be without his powers. He is capable of outmaneuvering the more hapless and careless enemies, and even occasionally be missed by the eye of a master. But in the latter event, such is rare; he can usually be spotted out and intercepted by a more observant and alert adversary. In conjunction with his natural agility and right line of thinking, Ruediger can be a rather difficult target to catch. Assassination Expert: Because of his talent of maneuverability, Ruediger can get behind his opponents and strike them down with his knives before they have a chance to counter him. His fear of blood forces him to use this as an extreme last resort, and even then he will only use it to activate his Schrift. This ability only has a chance of being effective if the enemy is thoroughly distracted an unaware of his presence; if he is detected, he can be countered much more easily. Enhanced Strength: Ruediger's obstacle climbing and course running gives him considerable physical strength, residing mostly within the legs. He is strong enough to scale buildings and rooftops with leaps and bounds and can even safely land from high falls without injury (if he lands on his feet). He can kick his enemies away, but usually trades "fight" for "flight" and escaping the enemy's radar. High Intellect: Although he is far from the smartest within the Schwarze Krähen Macht, Ruediger holds an impressive level of environmental awareness and adaptability. He will use any setting to his advantage, whether it be using the shadows for cover on the ground, navigating catwalks and support beams from above, hiding behind impromptu barricades such as boxes and high walls and even using the setting to distract his foes (e.g. throwing a rock in a direction opposite of a patrol in order to lure them away from their spot). He will take time to carefully analyze the movements of his foes before planning out an effective counter-strategy. Knife Specialist: In the event that he absolutely has to directly fight, Ruediger relies on knives as his primary combat skill. His fighting style can be best described as a crude form of the fighting style Eskrima, which was improvised as a result of watching the movements of more skilled combatants. Against the likes of a masterful opponent, it is more likely than not to fail. But against a low-class enemy such as low seated Shinigami officers, it can be formidable. Because of this low combat ability, Ruediger prefers hit-and-run tactics as well as ambushing combat-ready opponents as opposed to facing them directly. Hand-to-Hand Combatant: To some extent and as an extension of his knife skills, Ruediger posseses a certain degree of barehanded combat. His fighting style can be summarized as improvised street fighting and, like his style of knife fighting, was created from watching the movements of other opponents. He focuses on direct contact and relies mostly on punching and kicking to drive his opponents back. While he is capable of bringing down a lower level enemy quickly with this style, it is nigh useless in the face of a competent hand-to-hand fighter and virtually ineffective against a master. Thus, unarmed fighting is a form of combat Ruediger rarely allows himself to fall back on if he can help it. Fear of God: Ruediger's Schrift ability. When he stabs an opponent with his knives, he can inject his power into their being. Once injected, the victim will experience a psychedelic trip of nightmarish quality through their own mind. They will experience twists of memory, relive traumatic experiences and slowly have their mind torn apart under the experience. Ultimately, the unwarranted trip will continue until the target is a traumatized vegetable or literally dead from their own terror. It is the backbone of the reasoning for Ruediger's position as an Archangel; letting down one's guard can ultimately spell a fate worse than death. Spirit Weapon Knives: Ruediger's Spirit Weapon comes in the form of two tactical knives, which he usually wields for close-quarters combat. They are strong, durable and sharp enough to pierce through armor if backed with enough force. Relationships For the majority of his life, Ruediger has been an individual of detachment and isolation. He has few individuals he really considers to be close to him, but he has a strong attachment to those particular few. Fabian Wassermann Fabian served as Ruediger's adoptive father, having rescued him from the cold after he and members of the Bloody Sneakers found him beside the dead bodies of his parents. He served as a rather rough mentor for Ruediger due to the harsh conditions that he and his followers had to go through in order to make a living during war. At the same time, his encouragement and kindness made him a figure for familial attraction in Ruediger's eyes. Fabian was the one who helped Ruediger through his psychological trauma, constantly caring for him when the other members of the Beständigkeit were too concerned with the war effort to lift a finger. Fabian's death would have caused Ruediger to have a long-lasting mental breakdown, if not permanent, had it not been for the meeting with Arael. Berhtram Brandt Ruediger met up with Berhtram shortly after the failed assault on the enemy fortress. Because of their sudden meeting under such harsh circumstances, Ruediger held a considerable wariness for Berhtram. However, Berhtram's charisma, demonstration of civility and overall inviting nature quickly overturned this. This positive reception strengthened even further when Berhtram showed sympathy and understanding towards what Ruediger went through, claiming that most of the other S.K.M. members were in the same situation at least once. After being swayed to join the Schwarze Krähen Macht, Ruediger sees Berhtram as an admirable and almost god-like individual. He follows Berhtram with zealous loyalty, carrying out his orders as instructed - even though he still sticks to his own set of "rules" as he does so. Behind the Scenes *Ruediger's personality was inspired by the character Guts from the manga Berserk, involving a few similar elements such as an infant being born under dead parents, growing up under traveling warriors and living rather tragic lives. *Ruediger's unofficial theme is Ghosts I - 9 by Nine Inch Nails. References Category:Male